It is desirable to remove liquid from masses of the various types to prepare the mass for further processing. For example, there are many alternative energy applications for compacted, dewatered biomass including conversion to combustion feed, biodiesel, ethanol and others. Additionally, there are many potential applications for compacted biomass in fields other than alternative energy.
There are numerous known methods and systems for dewatering biomass. Most such methods use thermal or mechanical processing. The mechanical methods typically include relatively low pressure compacting mechanisms, such as screw presses and roller presses. The low pressures of these processes limit their dewatering capability. The use of thermal methods is relatively expensive.
In known methods and devices for compacting a mass such as a biomass, the permissible compaction force may be limited by the requirement to contain solids of the mass in the compaction apparatus. For example, there may be a tendency for the solids to extrude into a filter or the like under compaction. Such extrusion may clog the filter, requiring time consuming maintenance.